BANGKOK, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- A last-minute goal gifted South Korea a 2-1 win over Jordan and a berth in the semi-final of the U23 AFC championship here on Sunday, with Uzbekistan securing the last berth of the final four after smashing United Arab Emirates 5-1.
Lee Dong-Kyeong scored a left-footed free kick in the 95th minute of the quarter-final match, leaving no time for Jordan to come back. The South Korean side got the second stoppage-time-goal victory of the tournament, following a last-minute 1-0 win over China in the first round of group C.
South Korea broke the deadlock in the 16th minute of the match, when Cho Gue-Sung scored a header in the goal area thanks to a delicate free kick combination.
The East Asian powerhouse then missed several chances of scoring to extend the lead. A direct free kick from Kim Jin-Gyu hit the post in the 50th minute, and later on Kim Jin-Ya's close range shot was saved by Jordan's goalkeeper Abdallah Al-Fakhouri.
The Jordanian team once saw the chance to force an extra time in the 75th minute, Mohammad Bani Atieh assisted Yazan Al-Naimat to find the equalizer following a fast break.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Zayed Al Ameri took an early lead in an one-on-one for United Arab Emirates in the 13th minute, but Uzbekistan tied the match only three minutes later thanks to a powerful long-range shot from Ilkhomjon Alijanov.
The Uzbeks dominated the rest of the match, with Islomjon Kobilov hitting the penalty in the 26th minute and Oybek Bozorov added another goal from the distance in the 41st minute.
In the second half, Nurillo Tukhtasinov and Jasurbek Yakhshiboev both contributed a goal and an assist for Uzbekistan to seal the victory 5-1.
South Korea will face Australia in the semifinal on Wednesday, while Uzbekistan will take on Saudi Arabia. The top three teams of the tournament will qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, with hosts Japan securing automatic qualification.
